Dear all I am new of this forum.
Just few things about me…to introduce me and to introduce the topic “start teaching dance”
I write from Italy, I am 30, I have been studying dance since I was a child, first classical concluding the regular courses at a private school (fairly good school but very closed minded) then at 24 I started contemporary dance Limon and Cunningham, I did some jazz and hip hop and also tango!
I am an eternal student as I like to define myself ! !

The fact is that I have always studied dance with a great great passion but I have never believed in the possibility of considering dance as a job…. bur only
maybe because I had not the support of my parents…
maybe because I had not opportunities….
maybe I studied in a very closed minded environment…
maybe because I did not meet relevant persons (my teachers too) …
maybe because I had not the courage to take this decision!!
Thus…I have studied other things, I have found other jobs…(as a Chemist) but…NEVER NEVER neglecting my dance studies!
Now that (after changing many companies) this job doesn’t fit me at all !!....
It is turned up the opportunity to attend a course for dance teaching, the lecturer is my recent dance teacher very clever! … The things that I am studying are very useful to summarize all the things that I had been learning for the past years, completing them with anatomy, music, and teaching methods

This course helped me to realize that i have all the skill to be a good teacher, I had always known it but I had never never believed!

I would like to receive your opinion about this:
Is it possible now that, I am 30, to start teaching dance (contemporary) ?
I have 2 projects:
1) I would like to start teaching at public schools also in small villages, my aim is to let children know the beautiful world of dance, to help the approaching dance from different point of view ! I would tesch them the basis of contemporary dance…few persons do this in italy
2) open a contemporary dance school for children I my little village (only a ballet school exist!)
My dream is to start with 1 and go on with 2.

dear francy, excuse my english, it's very bad. I think you have a lot of courage, and you are very clever to attend a course for dance teachers. I think your project is very good, and i hope you will realize your wish. I'm writing from france, and here many dance students become teachers even if they haven't dance as professional, and some of them make a very good job with pupils. Just give the pleasure of dance, the knowledge of music and rythm, the experience of discover their bodies. It will help them their all life thru.
Good luck!!!

Dear Francy...you are the perfect age to begin a teaching career. Those little ones take a lot of energy! You have danced for much of your life. You don't need to have been a professional dancer to be a good teacher. I think you DO need a solid background in dance, which you seem to have. I believe, in reading your post, that you have many good qualities to be a good teacher...enthusiam, being one of them! And, love for what you do...I think it is a very good idea to begin with teaching in programs in schools or local recreation or community centers. This will give you the experience you need and help you build a student base without the BIG commitment and expense of opening your own business right out of the gate, so to speak. Good luck to you and let us know how it goes!

dear Gina
thanks for your reply,
the opinion of a person that like you knows this topic very well is very important for me!!
I will let you know how it goes

Gina Ness wrote:

Dear Francy...you are the perfect age to begin a teaching career. Those little ones take a lot of energy! You have danced for much of your life. You don't need to have been a professional dancer to be a good teacher. I think you DO need a solid background in dance, which you seem to have. I believe, in reading your post, that you have many good qualities to be a good teacher...enthusiam, being one of them! And, love for what you do...I think it is a very good idea to begin with teaching in programs in schools or local recreation or community centers. This will give you the experience you need and help you build a student base without the BIG commitment and expense of opening your own business right out of the gate, so to speak. Good luck to you and let us know how it goes!

dear Bipp1
thanks for your reply
I will let you know about how it goes

bipp1 wrote:

dear francy, excuse my english, it's very bad. I think you have a lot of courage, and you are very clever to attend a course for dance teachers. I think your project is very good, and i hope you will realize your wish. I'm writing from france, and here many dance students become teachers even if they haven't dance as professional, and some of them make a very good job with pupils. Just give the pleasure of dance, the knowledge of music and rythm, the experience of discover their bodies. It will help them their all life thru.Good luck!!!

Hi Francy. I say go for it. While there are many good teachers out there who do not have qualifications, I think completing a teachers course will have endless benefits. As a parent of a daughter doing ballet I feel more confident knowing my child is being taught by a qualified teacher. You will be instructed not only "how" to teach but "why" you teach a movement in a particular way. You not only learn the fundamentals but doing courses with other teachers gives you so many new ideas that you can use with your own students. Having a teaching degree gives you a feeling of achievement and francy your positive outlook and excitement will shine through your students. And don't forget that while you will be your students teacher, they will in turn help you develop your own style of teaching as you learn things from your students in every class. All the best to you I say.

Wishing you all the success and happiness for a wonderful teaching career. Your enthusiasm is infectious and this will refelct in your students. Remember...dance is an occupation where one never really knows it all. It is a continual process of learning and once we think we know it all...we go back and learn some more. Our students also can teach us alot. Have fun and take care. Keep us posted on your progress. ciao for now.

Dear all it is a long time I have not written in the forum.
My experience with dance teching course has been great, now I have finished with theory and have started with lesson training, I attend 3 lesson and I teach in the 4th, until now I have focuse with children from 6 to 10. I have noticed that they become even more interested in the lesson if introduce in each lesson almost 15 minutes of contemporary dance improvvisation laboratory. It is amazing as children, after 2-3 years of learning are able to use the movements to express their feeling in a so fantastic way. This encouraged me a lot because it means that they recognize dance as a new way of expression as is drawing or music or theatre, and it is very important for them to have this instrument.
As this one is a school where children attend 1 hour lessons 2-3 times a week.
What do you think is the best balance, in terms of time, between time for technical exercises and time for improvvisation (completely free or directed) ??
Moreover could you suggest me Music and/or Authors to use in these lessons?? they appeciate very much percussions music and Rene Aubry, but I would like to spread with different kind of music!
Another thing, do you think that is it good to alternate Graham technique for youngers up to 15 and Limon technique from 16 to elder?
looking forrward to have many reply my best regards to all of you
Francy

Hello, Francy, and thank you for your update. It sounds as though your teacher training is going very well and is inspirational for you. Congratulations on your progress and great dedication! I'm not certain, of course, what exactly your course of study is ( I believe it is contemporary?), but perhaps I could contribute a little here? I used to love to "make up dances" when I was young. My teacher at this age (7-10 and beyond) was a former dancer with Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo. We had this creative time occasionally at the end of her ballet classes;and as a child, I always really looked forward to this. Regarding your question, if this was my 1 hour class, I would give 45 minutes structured technique appropriate for their age, and 15 minutes "free" dance. I'm not certain about your question regarding alternating Graham and Limon technique...Do you mean on different days or within the same class? Perhaps someone with a modern dance background will post... As far as music for creative dance, I think anything that you like is fine. Saint-Saens' "Carnival of the Animals" is always fun...Anyway, best of luck to you and perhaps some other folks will add some more perspective.

Francy:
I'm a dance parent, not a professional like Gina, but I'll echo her suggestion for "Carnival of the Animals." "Peter and the Wolf" might also be well-suited to the younger set. Another thing to think about is to find music you and your students are passionate about. What CD is in your stereo right now? What kid-friendly movies have soundtracks that fit your dance needs? If you have a fast download, visit Borders.com, which is well suited for browsing, and lets you listen to the first minute of most tracks. Look up a CD you like, and see what links Borders offers.
(Disclaimers: I don't want to sound like I'm pitching Borders.com, and as I understand it, what borders offers is legal. Further, I don't know how
fast a download would be from another continent.)

I do enjoy listening to classical music so I'll pass on one other suggestion, for others to react to. The Classical form of theme and variations seems to me well-suited to allowing young people to respond to music as the style changes but the melody stays the same. In Dance, George Balanchine's Theme and Variations (On Tchaikovsky's Tema con Variazioni from his Suite No. 3 for Orchestra) and Ashton's Enigma Variations (On Elgar's Enigma Variations) are examples (Although Elgar never presents the theme on which these are variations.)

For young dancers, perhaps consider Mozart's 12 Variations on "Ah, vous dirai-je, Maman" K. 265, which turns out to be "Twinkle, Twinkle." More contemporary would be the theme and variations by Paganini (one of his caprices.) Several composers since then have had their turn with this theme, including Rachmaninov (Ashton again) and Andrew Lloyd Weber, who calls his simply "Variations." That one was written on a dare for Julian Lloyd Weber to play with his rock band. I'd call it Weber-esque, and humourously adventuresome. ("Hey how'd that sailor's hornpipe sneak in there???")

Dear Gina
thanks for your opinions
My class are supposed to be contemporay dance, I would like to use Graham technique during from age 8 to 14, than keep on with Limon technique. This because Graham technique is very important for body development and strengthening but as way of expression is very difficult to understand. Limon stile is easily appreciated by teens from 15-16 and elder and also by adults (this is the experience of my teacher)
do you agree?

dear Frank
thanks for your music suggestion I will check them
now I am using Percussion music an Piano music for exercises, for variations and improvvisation/creative part of the lesson I use music as Rene Aubry ones, or movie soundtrack as Newman's "american beauty" soundtrack, or ethic musics
I wil try to use some classical works as you suggested!
I am looking for contemporary music, containing particular sounds that could help in creative part of the lesson!
bye for now to everybody

dear all
it is a long time since I haven't written in the forum!!!
I would like to update all of you about my progresses a s dance teacher!
This year I have started teaching contemporary dance!!
YEAH!!! my teacher asked me to help her with classes, I am teaching children starting dance (two class 5-6 years old and 6-7 years old)...then I am also teaching contemporary dance to adult beginners...
during the first lessons I was very moved...my dream becoming reality!

Dear Francy...Thank you so much for letting us all know how things are going! It all sounds very good! Congratulations! I've been teaching ballet now for almost twenty years, and I still enjoy it so much. I love working with all those wonderful young people! It certainly appears that you do, too!

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